Fastening systems for attaching together mated pairs of shoes, boots, slippers, laceless sneakers, etc. offered for sale are well known in the art. In the mass merchandising of relatively inexpensive shoes by self-service department stores, discount stores, factory outlets, and the like, it is common practice to fasten the mated shoes of a pair together, to prevent their separation and possible mismatching. The price tag is usually attached at the same time. This is customarily done by means of a thin strong plastic filament about 8 or 10 inches long having locking means for joining the ends together. In the case of shoes having straps or buckles or eyelets for shoe laces or vents or the like, there is no problem fastening the shoes together because the locking filament may easily be inserted through one of the available apertures on each of the shoes. The filament is passed through a hole in the price tag and the ends are locked together. Some shoes, however, do not have any available aperture or eyelet. It has been the practice to pierce the side of the shoe in order to thread the connecting filament through it. This leaves an undesirable and unsightly blemish or mark after the filament is cut and removed, after purchase of the shoes, boots, slippers, etc. have been made.
There remains a need for protruding hanging tabs on footwear, laceless sneakers or slippers having molded plastic or rubber soles, wherein the integrally protruding hanging tabs on the molded plastic or rubber soles are used for receiving fasteners or hanging display cards thereon. Additionally, the protruding hanging tabs are used for either connecting or hanging the footwear or slippers together, or for attaching price tags to the protruding hanging tabs.